Briqueting-machine.



PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

, W. SIMPKIN. BRIQUBTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. so 1903.

2 SEEETS-SHEET 1,

Witnesses:

Inven (or PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

W. 'SIMPKIN. BRIQUETING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 30, 190;.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inventor I UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE. WILLIAMSIMPKIN, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

BRIQUETING-IVIAC HINE. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1903. Serial No. 155,089.

Patented. March 20, 1906.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM'SIMPKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Briqueting-Maohines,

of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for 'briqueting plasticmasses, and the device has been designed particularly for producincombustible briquets from a mix- .ture ofpu verized coal or coal-dustand a suit-' able binding substance.

specification, and in which My objects are to provide a machine for thepurpose which is simple in construction, strong-and durable in use, andcapable of effective and rapid operation, whereby briquets canbeproduced in large quantities and at low cost and shall at the sametime in the case of coal be suflieiently dense to compete,

successfully in all respects with the best qualities of natural fuel.

In order that the invention may be better companying drawings, formingpart of this Figure 1 is a horizontal section through thebriqueting-machine,' illustrating the same as being provided with fourcompressing-plungers Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detailedsection, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the construction of one ofthe molds and one of the plungers for cooperation therewith; Fig. 5, asection on 'the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a detailed side view of theconnection between the springblock and eccentric-strap, and Fig. 7 asection on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1. In allof the drawings correspondingparts are indicated by the same reference-numerals.

The foundation of the machine comprises a heavy cast base or bed 1,formed with an openin 2 therein, through which the finished riquets aredischarged. The side frames 3 3 are supported on the bed by shortpedestals 4. These side frames are formed with bearings 5, in which aremounted sleeves 6 6, carrying disks7 ontheirinner endswithin the bearins 5. These disks carry a very heavy mold-wheel 8-, rovided with a seriesof radial molds, as s own. -Eachmold is provided with a bushin 9, (seeFig. 4,) secured in place by the fil ister-head screw 10, 'whereby anyone of the bushings may be re-' moved when worn. Mounted in each mold 1san ejecting-cup 11, having a preferably concaved face, as shown, andformed with an integral stem 12, having a cut-away portion, as shown.Surrounding the cut-away portion of the 'stem is a split washer 13,which constitutes practically the bottom of each mold and isretained inplace by the bushing thereon. The function of this washer is to limitthe travel of each ejecting-cup, as will be obvious. The stem of eachejecting-cu projects through the wall of the mold-whee as shown, and isadapted to cooperate with an ejecting-cylinder 14, 'eccentricallymounted within and with res ect .to the axis of the mold-wheel. This cyinder is mounted on eccentrics 14*, secured to the stationary shaft 15adjacent to the disks 7. Said shaft is secured at one end to a plate '16by means of pins 17, and the plate in its turn is bolted or otherwisefastened to the adjacent bearing 5', as shown. At one end the cylinder14 I .is provided with a longitudinally projecting lug 14", which worksin a radial groove in the face of the adjacent disk 7, Fig. 7. Thismethod of mounting the ejector-cylinder will cause it to rotate at thesame speed as the mold-wheel 8, thus preventing rubbing between thecylinder and stems 12 of the ejecting-cups. At the same time thestationary eccentrics 14 will cause the cylinder 14 to approach theperiphery of the mold-wheel at the lowermostpoint of its revolution,thus forcing the ejecting-cup outwardly to eject the finished briquetfrom the mold.

Anintermittent or step-by-step movement is imparted to the mold-wheel byany suitable mechanism. The preferred arrangement for the purposecomprisesa star-wheel 18, keyed to one of the sleeves 6 and whose radialslots are successively engaged bya pin- 19, carried between a pair ofcrank-arms 20,

mounted on a shaft 21. 'The crank-arms,

project from a disk havingthat portion of its periphery between the armscut away to permit the star-wheel to revolve when the crank-pin is inengagement with one of the radial slots of the wheel, while thecompleted part of said disk locks the star-wheel against rotation whenthe crank-pin is out of engagement with the slots. This arrangementcorresponds with the well-known Geneva-stop movement and is utilized inmany arts in which an element requires to be rotated intermittently andbe locked during the pcriods of rest.

The shaft 21 is driven, through spur-gears 22, from a heavydriving-shaft 23,

mounted in bearings 24 at the front of the side frames.

0 1the driving-shaft and receives the driving- Immediately behind themold-wheel and co operating closely with its periphery is a casting 26,secured between the side frames and having longitudinal passages 27therein, with which the several molds are adapted to suecessivelyregister as the mold-wheel is intermittently rotated. Mounted in each ofthese passages or channels is a feeding-plunger 28, connected by a link29 to an arm 30 on a rockshaft 31, mounted in bearings at the back ofthe base 1. The rock-shaft is provided at its end with an arm 32, whichconnects by a link 33 to a pin on one of the disks 20, so that eachtime-the shaft 21 rotates the feeding-plunger 28 will be given acomplete forw ard-andbackward movement. The pulverized material is fedto the several channels 27 through transverse passages 34, to which itis sup plied in any suitable way. In the drawings I illustrate afeed-trough 35, having a scraperconveyer 36 therein and from which anumber of openings 37 communicate with the transverse openings 34. Itwill be understood, of course, that instead of the scraperconveyer anyother arrangement may be employed for feeding the pulverized materialthrough the trough for example, a screw conveyer of any approved type.

Cooperating successively with the several molds during the periods ofrest of the moldwheel are a number of pressure-plungers 38, each havinga removable head 39, provided, preferably, with a con caved inner facecorrespending with the like face of the ejectingcups 11, whereby theresulting briquets will each be in the form of a very short cylinderwith conveXed ends. The compressingplungers 38 are mounted in aguide-bar 40, so as to be capable of movement independent of the same.The guide-bar 40 is connected to a spring-block 41 by side members 42,whereby the spring-block, guide-bar, and side members will constitutepractically an open frame. This frame is supported on shelves 43, whichare integral with the side frames of the machine, and gibs 44 are boltedto the side frames to maintain the guide-bar and springblock in theirproper position relative to the mold-wheel. The end of each plunger 38is screwed into a block 45, each of which blocks is connected to thespring-block 41 by bolts 46, around which are coiled springs 47. Byadjusting the bolts 46 the distance between the blocks 41 and can beaccurately regulated. The plungers 38 are reciprocated by an eccentric48, formed on the shaft 23 and with which cooperates a spliteccentrie-strap 49. Mounted between one element of this eccentric-strapand the spring-block 41 is a A heavy fly-wheel 25 is keyed heavy pin 50,the eccentric-straj') and block being provided with bushings 51, whichreceive the thrust of the compression strains. Engaging the pin 50 areeyeblocks 52 on the eccentric strap and spring block, respectively, andby means of which the return stroke of the spring-block is eflected, itbeing understood that on the compression-strol-:e the strains areimposed on the bushings 51 and not on said eyeblocks. A locking-screw 53may be engaged with each of the plungers 38 to prevent them from workingloose during the operation.

In the bricking of pulverized material by means of my improved apparatusI proceed as follows: The material is supplied to the trough 35 and bymeans of the scraper-conveyer or equivalent device therein is fedthrough the chutes 37 into each of the passages 27 to fill the latter.Power being applied to the belt-wheel 25, the shafts 23 and 21 will berotated at the same shaft speed, thereby intermittently turning the moldwheel and bringing a set of molds successively in position in front ofthe channels 27 and successively bringing another set of molds in linewith the plungers 38. The turning of the shaft 21 operates the feedingplungers 28, and the charge of material in each of the channels 27 willbe forced into the molds, driving the ejecting-cups 11 therein to theirinnermost positions. The pressure applied to the material by thefeeding-plungers is only suflicient to compact the mass and make itcoherent. At the same time that this operation is taking place theplungers 38 are forced into the molds to apply an enormous pressure tothe material therein, so as to complete the briqueting operation. Byemploying the springs 47 it will be obvious that any one or more of theplungers may yield slightly on encountering an abnormally large amountof material in the molds. \Vhen both sets of plungers are beingretracted, the mold-wheel is advanced another step in its movement andthese operations are repeated. As the different molds move towardtheirlowermost positions the stems 12 of the several ejecting-cups willengage the cylinder 14, forcing the ejecting cups outwardly and ejectingthe finished briquets, which fall through the opening 2 in the bed. Itwill be obvious that when the plungers become worn and requirereadjustment this can be readily accomplished by removing the gibs 44and swinging up the spring-block 41 and guidebar 40, after which anadjustment of the plungers with respect to the blocks 45 or anadjustment of said blocks with respect to the spring-block can beeffected.

The apparatus is very simple in construction and in actual use has beenfound to perform its functions efficiently and economically.

Having now described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire tosecure by Let t'ers Patent, is as follows:

1. In a briqueting-machine', the 'combination with anintermittently-movable moldwheel of an eccentric-shaft, an eccentricthereon, a spring-block connected to said eccenwheel, an elastic tric, aplunger cooperating with the mold a ing-shaft, a crank on thedriving-shaft, a pin on said crank cooperating with said starsupportingsaid plunger, substantially as set,

fort

v 3. In abriqueting-machine, the combination with a mold-wheel, of aneccentric-shaft,

an eccentric.on said shaft, a spring-block, a

gulde-bar connected to said spring-block, a plunger mounted insaid-guide-bar, an elastic connection between said plunger andspringblock, stationary guides for supporting the spring-block andguide-bar, and removable gibs for maintaining said spring-block andguide-bar on said guides, substantially'as set forth.

4. In a briquetingemachine, the combination with 'a mold-wheel, ofasp'ring-block,

means for reciprocating the same,

means for reciprocating the same, a guide.- bar connected to saidspring-block,a plurality of plungers in said guide-bar, and inde endentelastic connections between each 0 said plungers and the spring-block,substantially as set forth. v

5. In a briqueting-machine, the combination with a mold-wheel, of aspring-block,

a guidebar connected to said spring-block, a plurality of plungers insaid guide-bar, independent elastic connections between each of saidplungers and the spring-block, and means for independently adjustingsaid plungers with star-wheel carried by the mold-wheel, adrivconnection. between said I respect to the spring-block,substantially as.

set forth, 6. In a briqueting-machine, the combination with amold-wheel, of an eccentrlc-shaft,

an eccentric on said shaft, a spring-block, a

plunger connected to said spring-block, a

compression-pin between said eccentric and spring-block, and eyeblocksbetween'said eccentric and spring-block, substantially as set forth.

7. In a'briqueting-machine, the combination with a mold-wheel, of aneccentric-shaft, an eccentric on said shaft, a springeblock, a plungerconnected to said spring-block, a compression-pin between said eccentricand spring-block, eyeblocks between said eccentric and spring-block, andbushings on the eccentric and spring-block engaging saidcompression-pin, substantially as set forth.

- 8. In a bri ueting-Inachine, the combina' I tion with mo d-wheelcarrying aplurality of radial molds, an ejecting-cup each mold, and aplunger for com ressing the material in each'mold, of a'cylin er mountedin the interior of the mold-wheel and revoluble therewith and engagingon its periphery with meansfor operatinglthe ejecting-cups,substantially as set fort 9. In a briqueting-machine, the combinationwith a mold-wheel carrying a plurality of radial molds, an ejecting-cupin each mold, and a plunger for com ressing the material in each mold,of a cylin er mounted on stationary eccentrics within the mold-wheel andrevoluble with the same for operating the ejectin -cu s, substantiallyas set forth.

10. n a riquet-ing-machine, the combination with a mold-wheel carrying aplurality of radial molds, an ej ecting-cup in each mold, and a plungerfor com ressing the material in each vmold, of a'cylin er mounted onstationary eccentrics within the mold-wheel, a radial slotin theinterior of said mold-wheel,

- and a lug projecting from the cylinder engag-' ing said radialslot,substantially as set forth. This specification 'si ed and witnessed this24th day of Novem er, 1902.

' WILLIAM SIMPKIN.

Witnesses: I FRANCIS WILsoN, D; JAMESON.

